Fall brings the beauty of colorful leaves, but then they end up on the ground. As Tupelo residents begin to pull out rakes and leaf blowers, they have a couple of options for disposing of them. However, there is one way of getting leaves off your lawn city officials don’t want to see.

Waste Management, the company that contracts for solid waste removal within the city, will pick up leaves if put in plastic bags and placed at the curb near receptacles used for waste pickup. However, leaves won’t be picked up if they aren’t placed in a bag.

Chuck Williams, interim department head of Tupelo Public Works, said beginning Monday street sweepers will begin more regular routines through neighborhoods to keep leaves off the streets. However, he said blowing or raking leaves onto the street is prohibited. If residents do, they may receive a note letting them know it’s not allowed.

“We want to pick up what naturally goes in the street,” he said. “When people put leaves out in the street, it can cause drainage problems.”

Along with bagging leaves up for pickup outside their homes or businesses, residents also can take leaves to the compost pile on North Commerce Street. However, the leaves left there must be removed from bags.

“We reuse that and give it away for free,” Williams said. “People come back and put it in their gardens.”